Ch.11Hero Hunting (1)

“Break their ranks! Kill them all!”

“Hold the line! Don’t retreat!”

“The Regent ordered us to hold our position! Fight to the death!”

The war intensified as the expeditionary force pushed into the southern inland. Sporadic battles erupted almost daily. Besides the forces led by Chief Gulan, there were numerous unconsolidated tribes in the south, and each time their lands were invaded, resistance had to be overcome.

“These insolent rebels dare to defy His Excellency. Cut off all their heads and mount them on poles.”

But these were merely small-scale conflicts. The tribal warriors who bravely drew their swords against Durin mostly ended up impaled. Countless stakes and ruins appeared wherever the expeditionary force marched. The scorched earth tactics previously employed in the border regions were carried out in abbreviated form.

After wiping six tribes off the map and increasing the number of slave soldiers to 1,500, southern resistance weakened. They realized they couldn’t mount an organized opposition without Gulan’s forces. Their only choices were submission or death.

“I worship you, my master.”

“Our tribe accepts the rule of the Castle.”

Hands raised skyward trembled with fear. Berdia, who commanded the rear forces throughout the south, handed over each surrendering tribe to Durin. But their misfortune at the hands of the expeditionary force continued unabated.

“Your Excellency. We’ve completed clearing the area around the Rock Mountain.”

“We’ve selected several demons suitable as guides. The Golden Guard is also prepared and ready to deploy immediately.”

“Here’s a dispatch from Governor Aurelia of the rear guard. She reports that all forces, including the Imperial Guard, are in defensive positions.”

Everything was proceeding according to plan. The relatively loose defensive forces guarding the Rock Mountain, which protected the route to the capital, were easily crushed. Even the surrounding tribes with any potential for resistance had been completely annihilated. This information would inevitably reach Gulan as well.

The Chief would try somehow to draw attention, but with Berdia and Aurelia holding firm, even that would be difficult.

The rebels and the expeditionary force would reach a stalemate. The southern warriors, qualitatively inferior in military strength, had no choice but to respond cautiously to Durin’s movements. The moment they avoided direct confrontation, problems were bound to erupt. The initiative on the battlefield had fallen into Durin’s hands.

This time gained was directed toward efforts to capture and kill the Hero.

-The ancient gate is located in the temple that enshrines Mother Rock. Unlike the shrine here in Laktelun, it’s guarded by fierce southern warriors, so entry will be quite difficult.

The Prophecy Witch, having confirmed Durin’s unwavering resolve, shared all the information she knew without filtering.

-Unlike the warps used by angels or humans, the gates created by the Demon King naturally use demonic energy as their material for spatial leaps. This means only those who can manipulate demonic energy, like myself, can awaken these warp gates.

Only one being in the demon realm possessed such ability.

-The Demon King. Only the Demon King can use the gates. The hero’s party will surely stay by her side. Since they’ve abandoned the path created by angels, this is their only way to return home.

It meant they would eventually meet at the narrow bridge. At that moment, a question suddenly occurred to Durin.

-You said the Demon King is destined to return to the human realm.

-That’s right, Durin.

-Then may I ask if the Hero shares the same destiny?

-…

The Prophecy Witch couldn’t answer immediately. It wasn’t due to something as trivial as embarrassment.

A chilling smile spread across her face. It was closer to swelling anticipation.

-I think that’s something you’ll have in your hands.

“Your Excellency. We’ve finished clearing the temple.”

The Golden Guard approached, covered in blood. Each held a severed head in their hands.

“There are no survivors. We’ll mount all the heads on poles.”

The temple of Mother Rock, the most sacred site for the southern people. A place where rituals had been conducted until just recently now met a miserable end under Durin’s blade.

The offerings they had made to the Mother were stained red. Headless corpses bore the full weight of their unresolved agony.

Traces of screams that had replaced prayers filled the temple.

Durin walked among the cold corpses of the children.

“Have you found any trace of the Hero?”

“Not yet. We’re making inquiries through the surrendered tribes, but there aren’t even any sightings.”

“It seems they’re moving more cautiously after being detected by our scout beasts.”

“Your Excellency. If necessary, we’ll deploy the Ghost Knights. They would surely be able to find the Hero.”

“They need to be deployed throughout the south. The Hero will inevitably come this way, so there’s no need to create unnecessary losses.”

The Prophecy Witch had declared it. Fate would bring them together.

“Don’t worry. I will settle this.”

“Your Excellency. We also wish to face the King. Please grant us permission.”

“Your opponents are not the Hero or the former Demon King, but blasphemous rebels. Stand down.”

“Your Excellency.”

A veteran demon of the Golden Guard bowed his head to him. Though he didn’t continue speaking, it was close to a plea. But Durin was resolute.

“If you have a duty to protect the King, I have a duty to protect the Demon Castle. For the survival of the demon realm, the battlefield where the Golden Guard must be deployed is not here.”

He spoke while looking at the statue of Mother Rock, which wept tears of blood.

“Do you remember the first verse of the demon realm’s law that I repeatedly mention?”

“Demons must oppose angels and rule over humans.”

“Your first duty is to protect the King from angels. Therefore…”

Durin turned around. Before proceeding to the gate, he addressed the Golden Guard standing in formation.

“Wait for the day when a new Demon King is born. I will find a suitable candidate in time. Your duty is to overthrow the angels alongside that person.”

The Regent firmly rejected them. He declared he would face the Hero, not the angels, first. The Golden Guard knelt before Durin who had made this declaration.

“If that is your wish, we accept it, Protector of the Castle.”

“We will be waiting. Someday, restore our honor.”

Resolute voices from behind answered the Regent’s will.

Clack! Clack! Clack!

The uniform sound of military boots gradually faded. The Golden Guard left the temple and returned to the Demon King’s army camp.

Left alone, Durin took his place among the hastily erected poles. A broken altar became his throne.

Now he just had to sit quietly and wait for approaching destiny.

If he couldn’t capture the Demon King, he would capture the Hero.

And if he failed due to insufficient strength, he would struggle enough to leave behind an eternity of pain.

That was how a demon faced trials.

#

“Kael. Are you sure this is the right way? The world is in chaos right now.”

“Lucretia said it was correct. We need to keep moving forward.”

The demon realm, having lost its king, was engulfed in war. Blood was spattered across every land the hero’s party traversed. It seemed more demons had died in this brief moment than holy knights had slain in over a thousand years.

That’s why they couldn’t help but be on edge. With the protection of angels gone, the conflagration created by demons could engulf them at any moment.

“No matter how I think about it, it’s strange. She said she could safely get us back to the human realm, but she chose the southern continent of the demon realm where a rebellion is happening.”

“It’s actually because of the chaos that we’ve made it this far. If we had gone to other, more stable continents, we might have had to fight the warlords there. Who are they fighting now?”

“…The main force of the Castle.”

Hero Kael comforted his party. The atmosphere had become unsettled due to the sudden addition of the Demon King, and distrust threatened to pull them into a quagmire. If not for their years together, the cracks between them might have already collapsed.

“That’s right. Eili. We’re on the right path now.”

The party’s mage in particular showed severe anxiety symptoms. It was because the shadow of the Demon King’s army was closing in on her moment by moment. Understanding her feelings, Kael desperately tried to soothe and comfort the mage.

“But I… I really don’t know. Is this the right direction?”

“Yes. Trust me. Have I ever led you into a pit during all the time I’ve been leading you?”

“No.”

“I’ve been dedicated to the party, taking care of even the smallest things, right? So can you trust me this time too?”

“…”

“Or if you can’t trust me, trust the oracle. The divine will clearly told us to follow the Demon King.”

He grabbed Eili’s shoulders, lifting the hunched mage back up.

“Whatever trials come, I’ll protect you. I’ll do my best to make sure everyone returns safely to the human realm.”

This wasn’t just for Eili. He spoke while looking at the elf and dwarf who were keeping pace with the party.

“Well… honestly, we don’t have a choice. We just have to trust and follow.”

“Elf! How can you talk like that? We’re brothers, so we stick together. If we overcome this adversity, we’ll surely become stronger. Our party has always grown that way.”

The dwarf warrior beat his chest confidently. Eili regained her spirits listening to his words.

Looking back, they had indeed spent such times together. From the days when she was a low-level mage who could barely create a fireball, the journey that had taken them out into the world had continued until now because of their tight bond.

Faith and trust. Even if they made the wrong choice, everyone would jump in together and make it the right direction.

“Yes. We can do that this time too.”

“Will it really be okay, Kael? I’m too afraid this time.”

“Don’t crumble. We can overcome this. Let’s do it together.”

Kael took Eili’s hand. A warm sensation passed between them. She could feel her distant mind gradually returning.

It was the comfort provided by a pure soul. She could once again grasp the courage she had lost.

“Well, well. Everyone’s acting out a comedy here.”

The black-hooded Demon King, who had been walking ahead alone, muttered. The Hero looked at her with a slight smile, which prevented her from saying more, but she couldn’t hide her expression of cringing.

“From here on is the Temple of the Rock. Judging by the Demon King’s army nearby, this place seems to have been caught up in the rebel suppression, so we need to stay alert. Otherwise, we might be caught and torn apart by southern warriors.”

“That demon always stays quiet and only speaks up at important moments to ruin the mood.”

The elf glared at the Demon King, but she paid no attention and continued forward, humming. Despite all the troubles and talk, the moment to return to the human realm was not far off. There had been a day when they had to be on high alert after being caught by a scout beast, but they had overcome everything. They just needed to resolve the final step well.

“Come on, let’s go home now. We need to get home and rest well.”

With the Hero’s half-joking words, the party entered the Temple of the Rock. It was a dungeon said to house the strongest of the southern warriors. Even for a hero’s party, it was a highly dangerous place if they let their guard down. Moreover, this was the heart of enemy territory. If things went wrong, they might not get a second chance.

“…”

Knowing this fact well, the party fell silent. The Demon King was the same.

This was certainly the Temple of the Rock. They had followed the Demon King’s guidance correctly, so there was no way they were wrong. All they needed to do was find the gate and leave, but the scene they expected did not appear.

Wheeeeee-

A cold wind carrying the smell of blood blew past them. What greeted the party was not sturdy blue-horned southern warriors, but their corpses. They lay on the floor without heads. Their heads, with grotesquely distorted expressions, dangled from poles.

“Was there a battle here?”

The demon realm was currently divided between the Castle and warlords fighting each other. Demons didn’t discriminate in their means to achieve victory, so it wouldn’t be strange if battles between rebels and the Demon King’s army had occurred here too. But something felt different.

For demons, military achievements were measured by the number of heads. It was a trophy they always had to collect to enhance their honor and merit. Therefore, there shouldn’t be severed heads here.

The scene before them wasn’t the result of battle. It was simply a site of slaughter.

“…Who would do such a thing?”

Eili looked around, falling into doubt. The scene, closer to a tantrum, was beyond her range of understanding. It differed from the behavior of demons she had known, so she couldn’t help but be tense.

At that moment.

“Everyone should brace themselves.”

The Demon King, who had been quiet, opened her mouth. The yellow eyes visible through the black hood were calmer than ever before. But it was close to fear. The woman called the strongest in the demon realm was afraid. The being who had not yielded even to archangels.

At that moment, the wind blew once more.

Wheeeeee-

The scent of blood spread thickly again. What seeped through it was demonic energy. An unpleasantness that seemed like it would drag people into the deep abyss enveloped the party. Everyone felt the same energy.

Four pairs of eyes looked at each other. Then slowly turned toward one place.

In the center of the temple immersed in a sea of blood, in front of a statue weeping tears of blood, there was a broken altar. A black-armored knight sitting alone there pressured the party members.

Kael knew well who he was. As a hero who had fought demons all his life, he had heard countless rumors from their mouths.

“Skull-Crusher Durin…”

The powerful aura emanating from him began to dominate the world.

The legendary great demon who had never experienced a single defeat in battles against angels and had even slain the warrior captain of heaven.

He was waiting for the party to arrive here, emitting a red glow from his eyes just as the rumors described.